Assessing the social impact of an online course on the clinical management of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A qualitative study
BackgroundIn conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) has implemented training in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) for health professionals in countries where the condition is highly endemic through an interactive on-line course. With three editions of the course successfully completed, we consider assessment of the courses social impact through analysis of the outcomes beyond knowledge acquisition to be of paramount importance.\n\nMethodology/Principal findingsTo this end, we have conducted a study using the Theory of Change theoretical approach, combined with an exploration of students experiences through in-depth interviews before, during and after taking the course. These testimonies have been analyzed and classified according to their type of result - outputs, outcomes and longer-term impacts - and distributed along three different levels: individual, collective (meso), and systemic change. Insights about intercultural communication in qualitative research are discussed in relation to the characteristics of UOC researchers and the class composition of faculty and students in the Middle East and North Africa countries (MENA) region.\n\nConclusions/SignificanceThis analysis fills a gap in the knowledge of social impact assessment through the establishment of a new methodological approach. The course has proven to be a valuable source of social capital and provided a space to build a network of professionals with a shared focus on how to treat CL in particular - a community of practice - and increase knowledge of other skin NTDs.\n\nAuthor summaryNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affecting the skin (Buruli ulcer, cutaneous leishmaniasis, post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, mycetoma, onchocerciasis, scabies and yaws) cause considerable disability, increase stigma and exacerbate poverty. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the most neglected NTDs. It has an estimated incidence of between 900,000 and 1.3 million new cases worldwide each year. A co-venture between the World Health Organization (WHO) and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) has developed an on-line interactive course entitled \"Clinical management of CL\" to provide health personnel with thorough and up-to-date information on the various aspects of CL. Using a new methodological approach, we have conducted a social impact assessment of this training program in order to identify the different type and level of results. The most significant impact has been the mobilizing of students and professors from the different editions of the course in a community of practice, thereby enhancing learning, knowledge sharing and effectivity.